Google enters the QoSE field

Quality of Service Experience (QoSE) is generally not what ISPs worry about. QoSE however, is what affects the user’s broadband experience. LIRNEasia’s broadband benchmarking efforts have consistently been about QoSE. In a recent launch of its new service Google aims to provide statistics based on streaming media via YouTube, that will help users make informed choices of ISPs. It seems however that this service uses a ‘push’ mechanism as opposed to a ‘pull’. It will be interesting to analyse and compare results with LIRNEasia research and others alike.

A link to the website appears when videos on Google’s streaming service, YouTube, are slow to buffer. The website was quietly launched in May, but recently drew growing publicity. “There are many factors that influence your video streaming quality, including your choice of Internet Service Provider (ISP). Learn how your ISP performs and understand your options,”the website reads.

The website is intended to inform customers who want to view video in high-definition how best to do it, Matt McLernon, a YouTube spokesman said. “We are just basically providing information, not trying to tell people to change their behaviour or do anything different,”said McLernon.